Wenesday, June 6, 2022

[Dreamin]

Oh, my....it has been busy around here! My local electric company has decided to offer us high speed internet. ( I always thought the phone company would do it, but they stalled. 22 years ago they bought a 500 square foot lot off my property where they said they would put boxes when they ran high speed cable, never happened!)  So, the electric company spent time trimming all the trees near their power lines, that's where I got the wood chip mulch for free, delivered!!  They were glad they could dump it close to where they are working, and did not need to run miles to the dump......Now they are replacing any bad poles......I have 3 on my property!  It's amazing that they do it without turning off the current. Dangerous job!! I got a shot yesterday with my phone of the work in progress.....really nice men....and they are going to leave me a pole.....I asked them to....I might need to run a line out to my shed, and would be easier to not trench......OOOOPS...today, as they raised the new pole, they dropped it, and it broke the top cross piece.....had to replace the top piece, then raise it again! Those poles are only 6 feet inground. They pull the old one straight up, put the new one in the old hole...amazing.

   

Also, to copy Dave's post of blueberries the other day, one of my daughter's plants is really loaded!!  She has about 20 in large pots!  We got a pint two days ago, and I see more ready to pick. Love them blueberries!! 

   

   

[Rich]

WoW, that does look busy! Will be a big improvement when done and high speed internet a bonus! The tech college where I taught had a power line program. They make big money but a risky job. Especially around here in the winter when a blizzard takes out poles and they have to replace them in below zero wind chill and slippery conditions!

Good looking blueberries! I just saw the new grocery store ad today, $3.49 a pint.

Here is the college presidents home built in 1906. Was used later for the music department. Now it will be torn down as the repair costs are prohibitive. It is on the Historical Preservation list but will still be removed. The college will recycle as much of the building as possible, which they have done before. No new building planned......yet, going to be a green space.

[Dave]

Thanks for starting the Daily, Natalie.

That's a lot of trucks for one pole.

I like your berry photos. I think they're most photogenic at this stage where some immature berries are yellow-green, others have a hint of pinkish hue, still others are red-violet, and finally one or two almost mature ones showing the lovely dark blue.

Hi Rich. What a magnificent house! And expertly photographed, as usual.

It's been a busy day: I woke up absurdly early, fiddled around with this and that waiting for the grocery store to open at 6:00 am and walked down there and back, then got ready for a routine appointment with my doctor. Walked down there and they checked the usual things plus a couple of other tests for common age-related conditions. Everything came back very good, except that my BP was a bit on the high side. But I attribute that to the exertion of the walk down there.

Lots of walking today - I've already more than doubled my targeted daily step count of 4000, and before the day ends might exceed 5 miles.

On the way to and back from the doctor's office I passed by a neighborhood park; took lots of photos and later discarded most, but there are a few keepers.

Here is one of my favorite birds - the Black-crowned Night Heron. This one appears to be not fully adult because: a) adults lose all trace of brown feathers, b) this one isn't as stocky as adults usually are, and c) I don't see the single white plume arcing rakishly from the back of the head...

   

[Rich]

Thanks Dave! You are quite a walker, keep at it!
Very interesting bird! Good catch!

[Dreamin]

Dave, I only was able to get a few shots a couple years ago of a night heron....lucky you! Love that red eye, it pops!!
About the trucks, Dave....two of them lift the wires from the old pole (while still HOT!) and the third one pulls the old pole out of the ground, and then drops the new pole into the hole. This time the hole was not wide enough, the pole has to be about 6 feet in the ground. One of the trucks also has a LONG auger, and it swivels into position, augers the hole bigger, then drops the new pole in....then they lift the old pole on one of those same trucks and drive it away! This one they put on my property, by the barn, as I might have a use for it. I can take as many as I want of my 3 poles, but I chose not to....I was amazed at how efficiently all this was done. Thousands of poles being replaced!!

[Dave]

Thanks Rich and Natalie.

About my walking: I manage a minimum of 1.5 miles a day, often more, but rarely the 5.5 miles of a few days ago.

Yeah, the Night Heron's eye sure is distinctive, and I love how it looks with the full adult plumage of blue-black and cream.